Investigators say a Lexus ran a red light just after midnight Sunday, striking a Toyota near the 91 Freeway frontage road.
ANAHEIM, Calif. — A 24-year-old pregnant woman died and three people were hurt after a two-car collision early Sunday when a Lexus ran a red light and hit a Toyota at North Anaheim Boulevard and the State Route 91 frontage road, Anaheim police said.
Police identified the Lexus driver as Daniel Ramos, 24, of Riverside. He was arrested on suspicion of felony driving under the influence and vehicular manslaughter. The crash, reported about 12:09 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 25, happened a few blocks from an on-ramp to the 91 Freeway. Detectives said more charges are possible because the victim was pregnant. The woman, seated in the Toyota’s front passenger seat, was pronounced dead at the scene. Her name has not been released by authorities, though relatives identified her as Bianca Esquivel. The Toyota’s driver and two passengers in the Lexus were taken to hospitals with injuries described as not life-threatening.
Ramos “exhibited objective signs and symptoms of impairment,” police said, and was booked into the Anaheim Detention Facility. Sgt. Eric Anderson said officers and Anaheim Fire & Rescue arrived within minutes to find the Toyota heavily damaged in the intersection. Debris and fluids stretched across several lanes as crews worked under floodlights to stabilize the vehicles. “Despite lifesaving efforts, the passenger could not be saved,” Anderson said. Traffic detectives documented skid marks, signal timing and impact points before the intersection reopened later in the morning. Investigators are reviewing surveillance video from nearby businesses and checking for additional witnesses who saw either vehicle approach the red light.
Authorities said the Lexus was traveling eastbound along the SR-91 frontage road when it entered the intersection against a solid red. The Toyota, a four-door sedan heading south on Anaheim Boulevard, was already in the intersection when it was struck on the passenger side. “We are still working to establish speed and impairment levels,” Anderson said. Officers administered field evaluations at the scene before Ramos was taken into custody in handcuffs. Detectives will seek toxicology results as part of the case file. The department said it has not determined how far along the victim was in her pregnancy and has not released the names of the Toyota driver or the two Lexus passengers who were hospitalized.
The fatal crash comes in a city still marked by a 2020 DUI case that killed Yesenia Aguilar, who was eight months pregnant, along a sidewalk in Anaheim. In that case, a driver later received a sentence of 15 years to life. Sunday’s collision unfolded in a different part of the city and under different circumstances — an intersection strike versus a sidewalk crash — but it again puts focus on overnight traffic throughways that feed the 91 and 5 freeways and the mix of local and regional motorists. Anaheim police routinely stage weekend traffic details along major corridors, and the stretch of Anaheim Boulevard north of downtown includes multiple signals, freeway access points and late-night businesses.
Police said Ramos was booked on suspicion of felony DUI and vehicular manslaughter. Detectives will present the case to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office after collecting collision data, interview statements and lab results. If prosecutors file charges, an arraignment could be set later this week in Santa Ana. Officials said “additional charges may be considered” because the victim was pregnant, a decision that would depend on investigative findings and applicable statutes. Police asked anyone who witnessed the collision around 12:10 a.m. Sunday or who has dashcam footage from the area to contact traffic investigators.
By mid-morning Sunday, the intersection was clear, but road grime and chalk marks remained near the crosswalks. A small cluster of flowers appeared on a utility box by the corner as drivers slowed to peer at the signal poles. A tow driver loaded the Toyota as officers folded yellow tape. “It’s a tough scene for everyone involved,” Anderson said. A passerby walking to a nearby coffee shop said she heard “a boom and then sirens,” describing patrol cars coming from both directions. Residents on the block said weekend nights often bring fast-moving traffic as cars cut between surface streets and freeway ramps.
As of Monday morning, Ramos remained in custody while detectives awaited lab results and finalized reports for prosecutors. Officials said the next update could come after the case is reviewed by the district attorney. Police have not released a full list of those injured. The intersection’s signals were functioning properly, investigators said. The crash remains under investigation.
Author note: Last updated January 26, 2026.